


I see you

by lolli00



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Eventual Romance, M/M, Mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-11-14 08:26:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18049061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lolli00/pseuds/lolli00
Summary: Baekhyun has a special ability. He sees people, "the others" as he calls them, but no one else seems to see them. He's lonely as nobody believes him.One day, he catches the attention of one of the others...





	1. I see you

Baekhyun was sitting on the train, with his head leaned against the window, trying to ignore the commotion around him. 

 

"So loud," he mumbled to himself. His phone's battery was dead so he wasn't able to listen to music and block out all the noise. The train was pretty empty as it was late in the evening but "the others" were there. 

 

As a kid he had painfully realized that there were people his parents or friends couldn't see. At first, his parents thought it was a not so unusual phase in which kids make up invisible friends they play with. After some time though they were annoyed with Baekhyun and told him to stop lying about it. 

 

His friends at school also didn't believe him. In the beginning, since they were kids themselves, they played along and acted as if they could see the others as well but as time passed by they figured that Baekhyun is a lying creep. And there he was, all alone. He stopped mentioning the others to people, in fact he stopped talking to people at all. 

 

The others looked like normal people. At one point, he had come to the conclusion that they were ghosts but he wasn't really sure about it - they didn't look creepy like he would have imagined the dead ones to be. The last time he had spoken to one of the others was during his elementary school days, at a time when he still thought he wasn't the only one to see them. But when he stopped talking to real people, he also stopped talking to them and started ignoring them, acting like he couldn't hear or see them. 

 

During his teenage years, he tried to investigate about the others and tried to find somebody like himself, who could also see. The closest thing to his reality would be a mystery novel, which was fiction of course.

 

At the age of 15, he once skipped school and made his way to Seoul, by himself, with all the pocket money he had saved up. There were actually a lot of people on the internet claiming to be just like him. This was the first time though he tried to meet someone who was supposed to be like him. She was a medium / fortune teller and allegedly helped people and communicated with ghosts. Since she made a living with it, she had to tell the truth, right? Don't blame Baekhyun for his naivety, he couldn't know better due to the lack of interaction with people, he didn't know how many scammers were out there.

 

His heart was beating so fast when he showed up to the appointment with the elderly lady and, first things first, gave her all of his money. He wanted to ask her so many questions about the others, about his ability and what he should do with it. Thanks to his shyness though he didn't mention it immediately, he let the lady lead the conversation.

 

You could almost hear his heart break when he realized that she didn't see the others who were with them in the room. The lady told him that ghosts often don't show themselves immediately and that he would need to come back to her so they could try summoning them again. 

 

The boy held back his tears, grabbed his things and before he made it out the door he turned around facing the scammer for the last time. 

 

"So you really don't see them?! But they are standing right behind you."

 

It sent shivers down the lady's spine, especially the boy's expression when he said it.

 

 

Now, at the age of 19, he lived in Seoul. He left his parents' house a year ago and moved into a small cheap apartment. He worked at a library and whenever he had time he looked for older books that maybe would contain some information he couldn't find on the internet.

 

And here he was, on the train, trying not to pay attention to the others and their conversations. He had a terrible headache and just wanted to get home.

 

Usually the others don't pay attention to the real people, especially not grown ups. From time to time they experienced kids to be able to see them but it was very rare and they seemed to lose the ability when they grew older. Since Baekhyun also acted like he didn't see them, they didn't know that he seemed to be special.

 

One of the others though was carefully watching Baekhyun now. He caught his attention when he complained about the noise earlier. There was nobody from the real world sitting close to Baekhyun so was there a possibility that this guy could hear or see them?

 

He was curious about it and decided to follow him when he got off the train, keeping some distance to observe him. He followed him inside but even after some time he saw no signs of Baekhyun acknowledging his presence. 

 

Of course Baekhyun noticed the other one, it was very rare that someone would actually show up at his home. It had happened from time to time at his parents' house but this was the first time at his apartment. He had a theory that they preferred more crowded or public places for one reason or the other. He wasn't sure though, how could he even be as there seemed to be no way to learn about the others.

 

What surprised him was that this particular other one seemed to watch him, even follow him the next day to work and again back home. That was a first for him, too. 

The other one didn't know if he was wasting his time, maybe he had heard wrong after all and had jumped to the wrong conclusion. Then again, time didn't have any significance for him so he decided to stay and watch for a little longer. He could have actually tried saying something to him, to see if he would get any reaction from it, but it was more exciting to him to look for more clues and let the situation unfold itself.

 

On the third day, Baekhyun didn't know what to do anymore. He wasn't scared but being followed wasn't comfortable either. He was having dinner, sitting at the small kitchen table with the other one on the opposite side watching him.

 

He had just finished his dinner but didn't get up yet, staring now at the empty bowl in front of him. He took a deep breath, lifted his head slowly and stared right into the other's eyes who seemed to be startled by it.

 

Seconds passed which seemed more like minutes until Baekhyun spoke to one of the others for the very first time in years.

 

"I see you."


	2. Bond

"So, I was right about you," the other one said with a smile on face, all excited. "Thank goodness, I was about to give up."

 

Baekhyun looked at him confused. "What do you mean by that? Why do you keep following me? Who are you? What are you?" 

 

"You don't know what I am? You can see me - see us. Am I the first one you talk to?"

 

"You're not the first one but it's been a while. You didn't answer my questions though. You've been following me, I think I have a right to know why."

 

"Well, I noticed you on the train and it seemed like you can at least hear us. I was curious, and honestly - very bored. I've never met someone like you. Then again, it's not that long that I've been on this side so I'm not really sure how rare it is."

 

"What do mean when you say on your side? Are you dead?"

 

A sad smile appeared on the other's face. "It still feels weird to me thinking about it... but yes, I am."

 

The confirmation of what he had always suspected made Baekhyun's heart race, quickly followed by a heavy feeling when he realized that the other one in front of him looked so young.

 

"What happened to you?"

 

"I was in a car accident last year. I was 18 and had just got my driver's license."

 

"Why are you here? Why are all of you here? Isn't there something like heaven or - I don't want to even think about it - hell?"

 

"Honestly, I have no idea whether it's heaven or hell once you pass the gate to the afterlife. The gate appears when you die once your soul leaves your body. You then have to make a decision, whether you move on to whatever is awaiting you or you stay here. Some are scared of what would happen once they cross and would rather exist here with you, the living. Or they want to keep watching over their loved ones. Some have unfinished business, now this is a tricky one. If you decide to stay for that reason, it means that you want to actively influence the living world and it comes with its price, they won't make it that easy for you."

 

"Who are they?"

 

"I don't know exactly what they are, they are at the gate to afterlife."

 

"And what do you mean by tricky?"

 

"So many questions," the other one laughed.

 

"Sorry," Baekhyun mumbled.

 

"It's ok. Told you I was bored and it feels refreshing talking to someone. By tricky I mean is that you lose your memories or at least your reasoning why you want to stay back."

 

"What about you?"

 

The other one sighed. "I guess I opted for the unfinished business, I don't remember clearly as I must have told them why I want to stay. So here I am, alone, bored and have no idea why I stayed around. I remember my family, I visit them from time to time, so obviously they are not my reason.

 

Enough of me for now. Were you always able to see us, do you know anybody else who does?"

 

"Yes, always. And no, I was searching for a very long time for somebody who doesn't think I'm crazy but I had no luck."

 

"If I was still alive I'd imagine to be scared of us..." He carefully examined Baekhyun's face. "...but you're not."

 

"Why should I be? In the beginning I didn't realize that y'all are different. There was this auntie who always played with me when I was younger, she was really nice. Others have also talked to me and it never seemed to be malicious or threatening. You are the first one who kept actually following me around. Yet I wasn't scared - I guess since you look really friendly," he shyly smiled.

 

"I'll tell you one thing though. Never trust us, good and bad people exist in the living world and the same applies to my side."

 

"Which means I also shouldn't trust you..."

 

The other one chuckled. "I mean, of course I should say now that you can trust me but wouldn't a bad guy say that as well?! And just because I look friendly it doesn't mean I am."

 

Baekhyun thought about it for a minute. "You're right. I'll keep that in mind. But... if you were bad, what could you possibly do to me? Trying to scare me?"

 

"Worse. But that's not something we should be talking about right now. Just be careful."

 

"I am. Heck, as you have watched me you probably realized that I hide that I can see the others."

 

"The others? Is that what you call us?" the other one asked amused.

 

"Yes, since my childhood actually, not knowing what you possibly could be. In my teenage years I started believing that you are ghosts but I wasn't sure. And I was so used to calling you like that by that time. Do you remember your name?"

 

"Yes," the other one chuckled. "Park Chanyeol."

 

"I'm Byun Baekhyun."

 

"I know," Chanyeol said with a big smile. "Remember, I was kind of stalking you."

 

Baekhyun started laughing. "Yes. This is so weird. The first time I feel comfortable talking to someone is you and you are dead."

 

"It's kind of sad actually. Don't you have friends? A girlfriend or a boyfriend?"

 

"No, never. I got so hurt by people and started withdrawing from all of them a long time ago. Hell, even my family doesn't like me, they think I'm creepy. That's why I left them to live on my own."

 

"Are you happy like this, Baekhyun, without love or affection in your life?"

 

"I haven't thought about it lately. I'm just so used to being alone. I might not be the happiest person but I guess there are people who are worse off. I'm ok."

 

"I admire that about you," Chanyeol smiled softly.

 

"Why are you alone though? I mean, can't you be friends with the others?"

 

"I have talked to some, most of what I know about us I  actually learned from - as you would say - the others. But I kind of keep to myself. I'm not too sure if I've always been like that, my memory of my previous life is blurry. It's more of an instinct for me to do so."

 

"...which means we have something in common - we're both alone."

 

"Well, right now we aren't, right?" Both boys smiled at each other.

 

"Have you tried to find out why you decided to stay here?"

 

"Yes and no... I don't know where to start, what I should be even looking for. A year has passed by so quickly and I haven't moved one inch with my investigation."

 

"Another thing we have in common. Felt the same when I was trying to find people like me. But maybe I could help you."

 

"How?"

 

Baekhyun laughed. "Obviously I don't know. How about we start finding out more about your life? At least that's where I would start. Maybe I'll be able to help with it by seeing things from a different perspective."

 

Chanyeol's face lit up with a bright smile. "Maybe. Why would you do that though?"

 

"This is funny, I keep repeating myself, it's yet another thing we have in common - I'm bored and got nothing else to do."

 

 

An unusual bond was born between Baekhyun and Chanyeol - two lonely souls only separated by something as insignifant as life itself.


	3. Touch

"I suggest we start with the research immediately, tomorrow is Saturday so I'll be off from work. I'm kind of excited right now but I guess I should go to sleep so we can get up early and use the time wisely.... Wait a minute, you don't sleep, do you?" 

 

Chanyeol was amused by Baekhyun's enthusiasm, his whole face was lit up and his eyes sparkled while talking about their plan to find out more about him. "No, I don't," he chuckled. "I actually enjoy the night time a lot, the tranquility that comes with it. This might sound weird but one thing that's really cool is that I'm not afraid of heights anymore, I used to be terrified! So now, when night time comes I often go to high bridges or buildings, sit there without any fear, and enjoy the view of all the lights sparkling in the dark. It looks so pretty and relaxes me."

 

Baekhyun smiled listening to the other one's soothing voice. "Good night, Chanyeol. I'll see you in the morning."

 

"Good night, Baekhyun. Sleep well."

 

 

Baekhyun was tossing and turning in his bed, he was so excited about finally having found out something about the others. He drifted away and fell asleep while thinking of their plans in anticipation what the next day might bring.

 

 

Baekhyun woke up early in the morning with a smile on his face. Finally something was happening in his life and he couldn't wait to get started. He put on some clothes and rushed out of his bedroom to see if the other was still there. Chanyeol was sitting in the living room on the couch reading a book.   
"Good morning! Hope you slept well? It's still early," he greeted him with a bright smile.

 

"Good morning to you, too. I couldn't wait to get up to be honest. I'll just eat something for breakfast real quick and then we can go."

 

He moved to the small kitchen, which was connected to the living room, and warmed up some left overs from the night before.  
"You must really like mistery novels, you have so many!" 

 

"Well, I actually started reading all kinds of supernatural and ghost stories because I was looking for clues about the others."

 

"Clues in fiction?"

 

Baekhyun laughed. "Yes, I guess I just wanted to read about things I can relate to plus the books are really addicting."

 

"So, Mr. bookworm, do you already have an idea what we'll be doing today?"

 

"Mmmh, kind of. But I have to ask you a couple of questions first. I guess  the best thing would be if I could talk to someone who knew you. Who were you close to?"

 

"I had a best friend, his name is Kyungsoo. But what do you want to tell him - that you see ghosts including me?!"

 

Baekhyun laughed out loud. "No, genius, of course I won't, duh. Something along the lines of me being an old friend of yours."

 

"Oh! Yeah, that could actually work. I spent my childhood in Busan before we moved here so you could say you know me from back then," the taller replied, his ears were turning slightly red from embarassment.

 

"Great! Do you remember everything about him?"

 

"Yes, he can't be part of the reason why I'm still around. I check up on him from time to time. He still comes to my grave a lot and talks to me. I'm happy that he didn't forget me but it also makes me sad to be standing right next to him, listening and not being able to respond or hug him."

 

Baekhyun was silent thinking about the other had just said.

 

"I didn't want to depress you, Baekhyun."

 

"No, it's not that. But what do you mean by you can't hug him?"

 

"I can't touch him, I tried but it doesn't work. I can touch and pick up objects, like the book I read earlier, but no human being."

 

"Wait a minute though... this is weird. I mean it's been a while since I interacted with the others but I can clearly remember playing with that auntie when I was kid, hugging her, walking hand in hand with her. I don't remember if I ever touched anybody else but I know that I could touch her. She always used to ruffle my hair."

 

Chanyeol stared at Baekhyun with his eyes wide open. Slowly he moved his right arm across the table. His hand was hovering above Baekhyun's but he hesitated to try touching him. Baekhyun understood that he must be somehow scared so he made the first move and grabbed his hand.

 

Chanyeol couldn't believe it and chuckled nervously. He could feel Baekhyun's hand, he took his other hand as well and carefully brushed the skin with featherlight touches first, then more firmly.

 

"I... I can't believe it! How is this even happening? I don't understand it."

 

Baekhyun just smiled softly at the boy in front him. "I don't know, maybe because I can see you too?!"

 

Tears were welling up in Chanyeol's eyes. Clearly, he was really emotional about feeling the smaller's warm skin, it was the first human touch he felt after his death. "Whatever it is, Baekhyun, you must be really special," he whispered.

 

Baekhyun withdrew one of his hands picking up the fork with it to continue eating but didn't let go of the other one. Chanyeol was probably not the only one who longed for the comfort of somebody's touch.

 

 

It was noon when they arrived in front of the best friend's apartment building ringing Kyungsoo's doorbell. 

 

"Hello?" they heard over the intercome.

 

"Hello, am I speaking to Doh Kyungsoo?"

 

"Yes, and you are?"

 

"My name is Byun Baekhyun. I'm sorry to be disturbing you. I'm a childhood friend of Park Chanyeol, I..."

 

"Come in, it's the second floor."

 

"That was easier than I thought," Baekhyun said with a bright smile to the other.

 

 

 

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting anybody," Kyungsoo apologized when he let him (them) in. 

 

"That's just an excuse, he's always messy," Chanyeol said which almost made Baekhyun chuckle.

 

"Oh no, I'm sorry for just invading like this out of the blue. See, I just moved to Seoul recently and I just wanted to meet Chanyeol's best friend."

 

"How do you know about me?"

 

"From his family."

 

"Strange, Mrs. Park didn't mention it when I spoke to her yesterday."

 

"Say that Yoora told you, she's my sister," the taller said to Baekhyun who did as he was told.

 

"Ah, I see," Kyungsoo replied. "I can't recall Chanyeol mentioning your name."

 

"Well, we lost touch when he moved here and I regret it. I just found out about what happened to him recently. And now I'm curious what was he like after he left Busan. "

 

"Mmmmh, I guess I understand. Chanyeol and I met at school, I think it was 5 years ago. At first I found him annoying, I was rather introverted and he just kept talking to me, a lot, and following me around," Kyungsoo smiled recalling their first encounters. "I don't even know why to be honest. But I warmed up to him really quickly, I had no other choice but like that giant goofball."

 

Chanyeol huffed jokingly like he was upset about the description.

 

"I found out quickly that he was someone I could trust and surpringly he was a great listener," he explained fondly.

 

"Sounds like him," Baekhyun replied with a smile. "Did he have many friends?"

 

"Well, he was quite a social butterfly, he was getting along with pretty much anybody. But it was mostly the two of us hanging out. We spent a lot of weekends here playing video games and stuffing ourselves with junk food." 

 

"Did he have a girlfriend?"

 

"No, Chanyeol was popular with the ladies but he was gay. He didn't have a boyfriend. Before he passed away he hung out with this guy from time to time but I don't think he liked him in that way. Gosh, what was his name again... Sehun? Right, it was Oh Sehun."

 

"Baekhyun, I think we can go now," Chanyeol said, which surprised Baekhyun.

 

"Kyungsoo, thank you for telling me about him. I have to leave now but maybe, if you don't mind, we could meet another time and talk some more?"

 

"Sure. It was nice meeting you. Next time you can tell me how about his childhood, I'd love to hear how bratty he was."

 

Both chuckled and traded phone numbers before he (they) left.

 

 

They waited till they arrived at Baekhyun's home to talk as they didn't want to attract any unwanted attention.

 

"Chanyeol, what is it, what made you want to leave so quickly?"

 

"I think we got our first clue, Baekhyun. I don't remember a guy called Oh Sehun."


	4. Friend

“Oh Sehun,” Baekhyun repeated. He felt a rush of excitement running through his veins. For once something was happening in his life and he felt like he was actually being useful to someone. Yes, it was only a name but at least they had a starting point now to dig deeper into Chanyeol’s past. He almost felt as he was a protagonist of one of those mystery novels he loved reading so much.

“Who could he be? Why him?” Chanyeol asked.

ff

“Who knows, but I’ll do my best to help you find out.”

The taller couldn’t help but smile, as earlier that day, it somehow made him feel warm inside to see Baekhyun enthusiastic and full of life.

“Chanyeol, would Kyungsoo have known if you really did like that guy?”

“I don’t know,” he answered truthfully. “I don’t remember having a crush on some guy. I don’t know if I had told him about it or not.”

“Then again that could also indicate that you indeed had feelings for him. What if he was actually your boyfriend?! Maybe you wanted to stay because of that.”

Chanyeol got lost in his thoughts for a minute. Could this be it? Had he been in love with Sehun, not wanting to part from him?

“I mean, of course that could be the case but – I don’t know – something just doesn’t click right. Supposedly that was truly the case, why would I stay behind? I’m not sure if I was that type of a hopeless romantic who’d do something like that. Also, how deep could my feelings have been for him if I apparently didn’t know him for that long?!”

“Hold up, I just had a thought. Chanyeol, could you please explain once again why the others stay here?”

Chanyeol looked at the smaller a little confused but did as he was told. “Well, we’re either too scared to go through the gate of afterlife, stay around to watch over someone or…”

“… have unfinished business on earth, trying to actively change something,” Baekhyun finished his sentence. “You’re right, it can’t be something as simple as you having been in love with him. If it was only that then you would remember him, then it would have been the second option you mentioned – to stay and watch over someone.”

“Yes. Unfinished business could be related to anything though, doesn’t it,” the other one said a little disheartened. Although they had a first clue, the variety of possibilities frustrated him a little. 

Baekhyun wasn’t that good at reading people but somehow he could clearly feel the mixture of different emotions stirring inside of Chanyeol. He moved closer to him on the couch and took his hand between his, comforting him with gentle strokes. “It’s going to be alright Chanyeol. It’s something you came up with, that you decided was worth trying to change. It can’t be something that is so much off the chart that we’ll never figure out the reason. And once we find out, we’ll see what needs to be done next so you can…” …rest in peace is what Baekhyun was about to say.

“Wait a minute, Chanyeol, what happens when you resolve your unfinished business? Do you have to leave then?”

Chanyeol hesitated for a second to answer, not because he didn’t want to say it but simply because he didn’t know himself. “I’m really not sure myself. It’s a scary thought though, isn’t it? I’m dead – apparently nothing can make me come back to life. I guess one day I will have to leave.”

Baekhyun wondered why such a huge wave of sadness came over him, thinking that Chanyeol might leave one day. To hear him say out loud that he’s dead when to HIM he was ALIVE, someone who MADE HIM FEEL ALIVE although they had just met. He was so overwhelmed by the suddenness of everything that he didn’t even realize that tears started rolling down his face.

Chanyeol only noticed when he felt the first tears dropping onto his own hand. “Baekhyun?” he called out to the smaller, his eyebrows furrowed in worry. “What’s wrong, why are you crying?”

“I’m – I’m what?!” He let go of Chanyeol’s hand and brought his own to his face touching it in disbelief when he felt wet streaks on his cheeks. “I didn’t realize. I don’t even remember the last time I cried, it must have been years ago,” he whispered more to himself.

“Then why now?” the other one asked softly. He brought his hand to Baekhyun’s face to catch the tears with his thumb and gently brushed them away.

“I, I don’t know. My heart just started feeling so heavy all of a sudden. Seeing how sad you were after we actually had a successful day.” He paused since he was choking up a little. 

“Please don’t feel sad because of me. I’m sorry if I made you feel this way.”

“You didn’t, Chanyeol. The thought of you being gone one day… it makes me feel like my heart is breaking.” He laughed at himself. “It’s ridiculous, I just met you but it would feel like losing the only friend I ever had, the only one who understands me and doesn’t think I’m crazy.”

The smaller’s confession made Chanyeol smile and he didn’t even think twice when he pulled him into a warm hug, wrapping his arms around him. He could feel that he must have caught him by surprise since his body went a little stiff before it started relaxing and felt how Baekhyun slung his arms around his own waist. 

“Thank you,” he whispered with his husky voice. “Thank you for feeling sad for me, for caring about me, thank you for thinking of me as your friend.” He felt how the small hands gripped his shirt tightly in the back, a fresh patch of tears wetting the cloth on his shoulder.

“Baekhyun, did I already mention that time passes by differently on my side?” 

“No.” 

“Time is not significant. Not only that though, it also flows different. I don’t know how to really put it into words but whether a day passes by or a year, it just doesn’t seem to have any meaning.”

“I don’t get it.”

Chanyeol had to chuckle. “Yeah, I wouldn’t neither. That was a terrible attempt of an explanation. It’s like time feels different. A year passed by in a blink of an eye to me although sometimes it felt like an endless loop. The past few days though felt different, the way the time passed by felt different to me.”

It was Baekhyun’s turn to chuckle against Chanyeol’s neck where his head was leaning by now comfortably. “Since you started stalking me? You said it yourself, you were really bored before. Isn’t it the same thing on my side? Time passes by differently when you’re bored compared to when you got something to do or you’re interested in.”

“It’s not that… I’m really bad at explaining this. It feels like I’ve been knowing you forever like the past few days – no scratch that – especially the last 24 hours, since we started talking to each other, feel like a very long time. Almost like the time is being stretched. I can’t explain it any better, I’m sorry.”

“Chanyeol?”

“Hhmhh?”

“Will you be my friend?”

“I already am, Baek. We’re friends. You are my precious friend who cares so much about me and I feel the same way about you.”

Baekhyun lifted his head up and took a good look at Chanyeol’s face. “You know we both sound like nutcases.”

“And? Who cares if we’re weird! We both feel the same way which makes it normal again.”

“I wasn’t lying when I said that you’re my first friend ever,” the smaller said almost shyly.

“You’re my first friend since I’m on this side,” Chanyeol replied with a goofy smile.

 

 

To Baekhyun it felt like the day had passed by in a mere second. He felt a little jealous that the flow of time felt different to his friend. He wanted to capture each second they spent with each other but somehow afternoon turned into evening and the sun set outside, darkening the sky. 

 

 

After dinner (well, only he ate of course) it was time to go to bed. He didn’t really want to but he felt how tiredness was slowly getting the better of him. 

“Go to sleep, Baekhyun, you can barely keep your eyes open.”

“I don’t want to, not yet. I don’t… I don’t want to feel alone again.”

“You’re not alone. I’m here and will be so when you wake up. I can come to bed with you if that makes you feel more comfortable.”

“But you don’t sleep.”

“I don’t,” he smiled softly at his friend. “But I can keep you company until you fall asleep.”

“Ok,” Baekhyun answered and turned around quickly heading towards his bedroom. He could feel how he was blushing. Apparently it was the first time he would be sharing his bed with someone else. 

“Uhhmmh, do you maybe want to change into something else? Your clothes look rather warm… wait, can you even change clothes? I mean, those are the ones you had on when you…”

“…when I passed over to this side?” He chuckled. “Yeah, it’s not like I can’t change clothes. It’s just that I usually don’t have a reason to do so. Besides, it’s not like a can go shop for new ones.”

“Right, silly of me, sorry.”

“It’s ok, it’s not like it was a stupid question. I’m also not really affected by cold or warmth but of course I could change into something else if you want me to. I guess it would feel more ‘normal’ if I did.”

“Yeah, I guess. Wait a minute,” he said and rushed to his closet searching for some baggy shorts and oversized shirt. “This should fit you.”

“Thanks.”

Baekhyun turned around and lied down while Chanyeol was changing. He made the taller cover himself up properly with the blanket although he had said that he wouldn’t be cold. Both were lying turned towards each other.

“So, what’s going to happen next, Baekhyun?”

“I… I’m not sure, what do you mean?”

“I mean tomorrow. Do you have plans or something to do?”

“Oh. No, I don’t. We could try to see if we can find out something about Sehun online, for example check if he has any sort of sns account.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. Good night, Baekhyun.”

“Good night, Chanyeol,” he said while closing his eyes. 

He had almost fallen asleep when his eyes shot open again. “Chanyeol!”

“You scared me! I thought you were asleep.”

“How could we forget about the thing we should have looked up first!”

“What are you talking about?” he asked lifting himself up curiously.

“What I mean is, yes we got a clue with Sehun and of course we’ll be looking for him but shouldn’t we check your sns accounts as well? You have some or at least one, don’t you?”

“I… I don’t know. I can’t remember.”


	5. Home

Baekhyun was slowly waking up, he still had his eyes closed and all he could feel was comfort. When he slowly blinked his sleep away he was greeted by warm eyes and a soft smile belonging to his new friend. 

“Good morning, Baek.”

“Good morning. Did you stay here the entire night?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t have to, it’s not like I wanted you to be bored all night.”

“It’s ok, I wasn’t bored. I was thinking about everything that happened, trying to figure out what I remember and what not. It’s not as easy as I thought.”

“Patience, Chanyeol,” the smaller smiled.

 

The boys got up and after a quick shower, Baekhyun headed to his small kitchen to prepare himself a breakfast while Chanyeol was calmly watching him move around the stove.

Just when the table was set, the ringing of Baekhyun’s phone startled both of them. 

“Don’t you want to answer it?”

A frown appeared on Baekhyun’s face. “I’ll call back, although I really don’t want to. There are only 3 people who actually have my number. 1) My boss from work who wouldn’t call me on a Sunday, 2) Kyungsoo since yesterday and 3) my parents. So, it must be them calling.”

“You don’t want to talk to them?”

“They don’t like me, they think I’m creepy and a liar. I think they were relieved when I moved out last year. They call me from time to time though, I guess they just do it to make themselves feel better, you know, acting like actual parents.”

“You said they don’t like you. What about you, do you wish you had a different relationship?”

Baekhyun sighed loudly. “I haven’t thought about it in a long time. I gave up on them, on being a family to be honest.”

 

Once he was done eating and washed the dishes, he called back. Chanyeol couldn’t really figure out what was being said since his friend only answered with ‘yes’ and ‘no’ mostly.

The phone call was followed by another series of sighs coming from the smaller. “Chanyeol, I’m so sorry but they want me to come home today. My mother was guilt tripping me and said I should at least come over for lunch since I haven’t been there forever. She insisted to come today.”

“It’s ok, Baek. I’ll wait, I won’t run away.”

“Do you maybe want to come with me?”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, please! We don’t have to stay long and once we get home we’ll continue with our research. I’d feel more comfortable with you by side I think,” he almost whispered the last part.

“I’ll join you, no problem.”

 

It was a one and half hour ride with the train. When they arrived at the small town and walked toward the parents’ house, Baekhyun felt more and more uncomfortable, almost suffocating.

“Relax, Baek, breathe calmly. As you said, we’ll only stay there as long as we have to.”

“I know. It’s just that I always feel lost and out of place whenever I’m there.”

He took a few more deep breaths as he stood in front of their door and rang the bell.”

“Baekhyun! You finally made it. Come in,” his mother greeted him. 

The first thing that Chanyeol noticed was that the mother didn’t even hug Baekhyun as you would imagine a mother to do after not having seen her son for such a long time.

“Your father is already waiting in the living room. The table is set, we’re good to go.”

Baekhyun only nodded and mumbled a thank you. His father greeted him in a similar awkward fashion, it was clear to see, even for an outsider as Chanyeol, that they weren’t on best terms. He knew that his friend was a loner and during those few days he had been following him around he indeed had noticed that he was more of an introvert. However, it never seemed like he was bothered by it. Now that he was together with his family he seemed intimidated and even smaller, like he wanted to make himself disappear.

Chanyeol wondered why they even invited him after some time because there was no conversation going on beyond obligatory questions such as ‘are you doing well?’ ‘are you eating well?’ but no real interest in their son. No questions whether he had friends, a partner, what he spent his time with -nothing.

Unexpectedly, the silence got interrupted by a loud female voice. “Oh my, oh my, oh my! My boy is back, you’ve grown up well, it’s been such a long time!” She startled both of the friends, however, the parents only saw how their son almost jumped up in surprise. 

Baekhyun hadn’t expected the ‘auntie’ to show up again. Actually he should have, it’s not like she was ever gone, she always wandered around the house, the garden and the close neighborhood. Maybe because he had started speaking to Chanyeol he was caught off guard and forgot about ignoring and reacting to her like he done since his childhood.

“Oh my, oh my! Boy, can you hear me, can you see me? I missed you so much,” auntie shouted excitedly. In her excitement she didn’t notice that Chanyeol was just sitting at the table with no plate in front of him, neither was he eating nor had he said a word. Then again, nobody spoke really, maybe that’s why it didn’t seem odd to her.

“Not now,” Baekhyun mumbled and looked directly at her to make her understand.

The odd behavior didn’t go unnoticed by the parents but they didn’t comment on it. 

 

“Mom, Dad, thank you for the food. Is it ok if I go upstairs to my room and look for some things I wanted to bring along with me before I leave?”

“I’m afraid you won’t find anything there, Baekhyun, not upstairs,” his mother replied with an expressionless face. “We redesigned the room, we turned it into a small office now. If you’re looking for anything you left behind you need to go downstairs to the basement. There are some boxes with your belongings.”

“Ummh, sure, I’ll go downstairs. Excuse me,” he said and got up followed by Chanyeol right behind him.

 

Baekhyun felt relief as soon as the door to the basement closed behind him. He didn’t really need anything, he just wanted to get away from his parents and have the opportunity to speak to auntie. He would have felt bad to leave her behind without saying goodbye since he hadn’t ignored her earlier.

“Oh my, oh my, oh my! Boy, I’m so happy! You can finally see me again, I know you just did!” Auntie was circling around him happily.

“Yes, auntie. It’s good to see you again.”

“My boy, you remember me, don’t you! How have you been?” she said, finally in a calmer voice slowly stroking his soft hair like he was still a child.

“How could I forget you,” he replied with a soft smile. “I moved out, I live in the city now. I’m doing well, you don’t have to worry about me.”

“My boy, I’m glad you’re doing well. I’m so proud of you!”

“Auntie, can I ask you something?”

“Oh my, oh my, my boy, sure you can.”

“Why are you still here?”

The expression on her face changed, she examined Baekhyun’s face, almost like she was trying to figure out what he might know or what to answer. And finally she looked right behind Baekhyun and payed attention to the tall young man standing behind him.

“What are you doing here?”

“He’s my friend auntie, it’s ok.”

“No, no, no, no, no! Oh my, oh my, oh my!”

“Don’t worry, auntie, I know. I know he’s on the other side, same as you are. That’s why I was asking you why you’re still here.”

“He shouldn’t be here,” she said stubbornly without answering Baekhyun’s question.

Baekhyun was a little dumbfounded, he didn’t know what to say or why auntie was acting the way she did. He tried again. “Auntie, that’s Chanyeol and he’s my friend. He came with me and will go back home with me. You don’t have to worry.”

This time around, she didn’t answer, she mustered Chanyeol from head to toe and it seemed like she was lost in thought.

“No, no, no, no, no! You don’t belong here. What are you doing here?”

“Uhhmh, it’s as Baekhyun said, ma’am, we’re friends and I would never harm him. He’s actually helping me…”

“Helping you with what?”

“I want to find out why I stayed behind, ma’am. And he’s helping me with it.”

She nodded knowingly, understanding exactly that he had no memories, which could only mean one thing. Something was off though, something didn’t seem right.

“Like I said, you don’t belong here. I don’t know what you’re doing here.”

“Ma’am, I don’t even know what you mean by that.”

“You should leave.”

“Auntie, we’ll leave now, I’ll see you next time around.” Baekhyun was confused, more than anything though he felt protective of his friend. 

“Oh my, oh my, oh my, my boy! Please take care of yourself. Please watch out for yourself.” She patted the top of his head one last time before she disappeared.

 

None of the boys spoke a word, both were confused and wondered what had just happened. Baekhyun just wanted to go home now so he quickly looked through the boxes and took nothing but one of his old diaries with him. When he opened up the door he could hear his parents’ voices.

“See?! I told you, he’s still acting strange! Talking to himself again. Why can’t we have a normal son?!”

Baekhyun took a deep breath and shut the door a little louder so they could hear him coming.

“Mom, Dad, I’m leaving.”

“Ok, Baekhyun, have a safe trip home.”

He put a polite smile on and waved them goodbye.

 

 

They rode the train home quietly. Once they entered Baekhyun’s small apartment, the boys sat down next to each other on the couch. Chanyeol gently brushed Baekhyun’s bangs out of his face, the smaller’s head was leaning on his shoulder. “What’s on your mind, Baek?” 

“What an afternoon that was. I… I feel drained. Being with my parents robs me off my energy. Well, you saw for yourself now. That’s how they always are. I wish they’d just leave me alone.”

“Yeah, that was… - they were really cold towards you.”

“And then auntie…”

Chanyeol chuckled. 

“What, why you’re laughing?”

“It was funny, just too weird, like a scene out of a movie or something. First the awkward silence during lunch and all of sudden she appeared, shouting and running around all excited.”

“Yeah, she’s really something,” the smaller smiled. He moved his head to look directly at his friend’s face. “I’ve never seen here like that though. I mean her reaction towards you. It was so strange!”

“She clearly cares about you, Baek. I guess she’d prefer if you had normal friends and not someone like me. She must be worried about you.”

“But Chanyeol, the things she said, the way she looked at you…”

“Are you scared now?”

“Scared of what?”

“Of me. Maybe she thinks I’m evil or something.”

“Who knows what she was thinking but I don’t care. I’m not scared of you and I’m not having someone tell you that you don’t belong here.”

The taller couldn’t help but smile, he had been worried all along that maybe Baekhyun wouldn’t want him around anymore.

“Thank you, Baek.”

“No need to thank me,” he smiled back. “Aah, isn’t it good to be home? I feel much better now.”

“It is,” Chanyeol replied. ‘Home’ he thought.


End file.
